Heartless
by Clear Eyed Dreamer
Summary: Kate Austin had made a good life for herself after finally detangling herself from the horrendous thing that was her marriage to James Ford.  James, though, just can’t seem to forget about her… Skate


Heartless

Summary : Kate Austin had made a good life for herself after finally detangling herself from the horrendous thing that was her marriage to James Ford. James, though, just can't seem to forget about her… Skate

Chapter 1: Introduction

James Ford, or Sawyer as he liked to be called, was a con man. It wasn't a game to him or just a way to pass time, it was a way of life. He was good at what he did and knew the ins and outs of his chosen profession. There was always the risk of getting caught, but he knew enough to make sure he didn't leave a paper trail. People thought he was cold and heartless and they were right. He was cold and heartless, ever since his ex-wife stole his warmth and shattered his beating heart.

She was the most amazing thing in the world to him, she always had been even since they had first met eight years prior. She had been the secretary of his mark at the time. Every time he would go to the mans office, he'd always made sure to flirt with the cute secretary and she'd always flirt back. The day before he was to take the man for all he was worth, he asked the secretary, Mary, out for dinner. Being the impetuous type and completely infatuated with the woman, he told her all about the con he was pulling and asked her to leave town with him when he left the next day.

James didn't understand at the time why that made her laugh so hard until she had calmed down enough to explain. Her name was actually Kate Austin, she was wanted on a charge of murder. Although it surprised him, it didn't turn James off of her. After spending the night together, the pair made plans to leave town that night, with her boss's savings financing them.

It had been a whirlwind courtship and two months later they had eloped. She had always been his everything, he had given up so many con jobs just to be with her. He gave her everything she wanted. For four years he thought they were happy together, but then she told him she was divorcing him. He got drunk and threw a tantrum, but she had already left. For weeks his eyes welled up with tears every time he thought of her.

What completely shattered his heart was the news segment he caught one night on television while flipping through the channels in his hotel room a year after she left him. There was footage playing that had his Kate in it. Her perfect body was bound in a tight white dress, her bouncy brown waves where caught up on top of her head, and her gorgeous eyes sparkled as she walked down an aisle holding a bouquet of flowers. It had taken him a moment to notice that there was a another man on her arm. Through his confusion and surprise, he managed to read the caption at the bottom of the screen that read 'Miracle working spinal surgeon Jack Shepherd weds'. That's when he knew it was over.

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Jack was the perfect husband. He was attentive, affectionate and caring. So much so, that Kate often found herself trying to avoid him whenever possible. It wasn't a hard thing to do with the amount of time he spent at the hospital. She thought it would be a good idea to marry Jack, but other than the complete monetary freedom, it was a boring life. Sure, there were social gatherings and upscale parties, but those things were never any fun. She would often wish for a party like her ex-husband used to bring her to but she knew that those types of things didn't exist in high society.

Kate wondered briefly who she could trade Jack in for. Who made more money and was out of the house more than a spinal surgeon? Someone who wouldn't force her to go to dreadfully dull parties and who wouldn't smother her in kisses. She wished she had spent more time with Jack before accepting his proposal and getting married. That way she might have been able to divert this disaster.

Her only solace came in the form of her three friends, Claire, Shannon and Ana Lucia. Claire and Shannon were high society types but they weren't like the others. Claire knew hard times because she was a single mother of a one year old boy named Aaron. Shannon was another story. Kate kept her around to keep her spirits up because that was what Shannon was good at. Ana Lucia was a friend of hers from back when she was married the first time. In fact, marrying Jack had been all Ana's idea. Ana was greedy and had taken Kate along for the ride. She was an ex-cop who got her money from jumping from rich husband to rich husband. Her current husband was a friend of Jack's named Hugo, who also happened to win the lottery right before Ana stepped into his life.

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Ana Lucia knew she was a greedy, selfish, self-serving bitch and she liked it that way. She'd been married so many times she couldn't even remember all the last names she'd had, but she'd only been in love once. His name was James Ford and she would have given up her entire husband jumping lifestyle for him. She'd known him for years, long before Austin came around. She had been a crooked cop when she met James and had helped him out on a couple cons. They had become fast friends and Ana soon after quit her job to have the freedom of moving around with him. She would have given anything to be with him, but he always put the brakes on her advances towards him.

Then Austin came along and swept him off his feet. They were horribly in love and it made Ana sick to see. She deserved to be with James, not some pyromaniac bitch. She started talking to Austin, gaining her trust. She'd plant little ideas in Austin's head about James and let them grow until Austin fully believed them. Ana had rejoiced the day Austin told her that she was leaving James.


End file.
